Expansible house trailer and building



March 2, 1954 H. E. PRESNELL EXPANSIBLE HOUSE TRAILER AND BUILDING FiledJan. 12, 1951 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT o FTFICE EXPANSIBLE. HOUSETRA ILER BUILDING *Harry E. "Presnell, .Mesa, Application;danuarylZ,1951, Serial FTo.'=Z05633 3Claims. (Cl. 29623) IMy "invention relates toexpandable .house trailers and buildings and to -a packaged =toybuildmg.

The object .of my invention is to produce "a portable traile'rlbu'ildingwhichin expanded condition is .a structureofsuhicient siz .tofurnishcom'fortable-quartersjbut which may Joe-easily contracted to have .awidth of .-not.over..eight.eet. This makes it conform .to'thetramcregulations limiting the extreme width .oliloads which can use'thehighways.

Another .object or ithe'invention is to produce such a structure whichwhenmadeonaireduced scale andof appropriate (material forms anattractive'toy.

These and other objects are accomplished by the'means'shownin'itheaccompanying drawingsj fully setfforth in thefol'low'ing description andmoremarticularly pointed outiin the claims.

Inthe drawings: Fig. 1 is a. view of"my"building with the differentparts assembltni hut lying in 'one plane prior to erection.

Fig. "2 shows .in perspective an intermediate stage in theerectionofth'e building.

Fig. -3 is a perspective view of "the building when erected. I

Fig. 4 shows the buildin'g"when (folded for transportation.

building whensetupforuse.

Fig. 6 is a perspective fof a top corner tif'th e building, showing 'on-a "larger "scale the hinged connection of the wall "sectionsand alsothe means for "fastening "the meeting edges "or theroofand'wallsections.

-F'ig. "7" is 'a perspective view"of"the"building on a small'scale asa-'toy,"showing"it in-coursei'oferection.

Fig. 1 shows clearly the *assembla g'e 'oi-the p'arts, there'- bein-gtwo 'siznilarfiobr'menibers "I and hinge'dly "connected as 'shown byfhing'es "3, six -'being shown, but this numbermayhe varied as required."Theleng-th 'of th'es'e floor-sections may be as desired, but the widthof each must be kept-alittleunder"eigh-t feet so that the foldedstructure may not take up more of the highway in transit than trafficregulations-permit.

The section has attached at reach end by means well known in the artsimilar wheel and axle arrangements 4 as shown in dottedflines. thesebeing for "transportation purposes. T'lh'e usual hitch "arrangen'ient is-alsoprovided vl for attachment "to a towing "vehicle, this being-so"6b? vious andwell .knownwha't it has "not been illustrated. To onelongitudinal edge of the "floor is connected by'hinges It! a similarroof unemher 9.

:(ionsidering zagainfthe :floor :section *2, it be-zseenthatat each end,hinges t2 connect to itnne half :11 ofzan end wall, each-of: thesehalves being :hinge connected :byiin'nge's 11:4 to another half [-3having iconnected to it hy:h'inges zlBrPa portion "I 5 :of alongitudinal wall. To 16370111301- tion IS'iS'fittfiiChBd'iflD-Oth'fil'portion lr'lrbyfmeans of hinges i8. ltwillzbezseen from @Fig. 1 that allthe :hinges are :on what isthe upper surface of the sections in :this:figure, 1 but which will :zbe the interior of ithe building whenierected, the hinges 3 '8 and :12 abeingnf "the ordinary form permittingeswinging :only one direction, .but the hinges M :and :1 .6 being "awell known .formao'f double or triple acting hinge permittingra swing inei-ther direction:iorraipurpose.to be explained later. .It willzalso beseen that the roof :member 9 ,carries a number :of ordinary hasps :19along both :i-ts Sends and longitudinal edge, while the othenroofimember:1 and the wall memberfihave such hasps along their ends, .--.and x'the:hinged member :1 .has them along its longitudinal-wide. As seen in Fig.6 each hasp I Bengag'esaistaple 2.0 ton n :-mating member and is .locked:by a spin adjacent structure. Similarly located windows 23 aregprovided i-n predetermined positions wall-sections 5-4.1, 3-,and .15while--.doors2-4-:are

locatedin predetermined positions in wall sections .5. -.and .11.ns-seen' in Figs..--3 and 5 the floor section A is carried by supports25 similar'to the ordinary carpenters horse 'or trestle.

Supposing-now that the structure isin the flat condition shown .bytFig..1 with thefioor sections l .vandsZ supported by .the .trestles -25 andthe wheehmemhers 4 respectively, erection is done .as follows: line endwall,-sections H .and 13 are brought to vertical position, taking-withthem attached'sections -l-5.-and 11. The latter arethenturnedinwardlyfalongthe outerfedge of thefloor section 4,, and theirabutting -:ends connected by means of :thehasps l9, staples 12-0 andpins-2l forming .one longitudinal wall. Then the wall section .5 israised -.to vertical .position 'to form the other longitudinal wall..283; meansof thel'atch and staple/arrangement this-wall is secured *toend: members I. FIhen-the; roof sections 1 and 9 are folded up over thegable ends ofwthe-end wa11 sections .11 and 2 l3 and zsecured.theretodoy means.of..th.e hasptand staple connections. In like mannerthe roof section'S is secured along 3 its longitudinal edge to wallsections l and IT. A step 26 is then placed at each door opening 24.

It will be seen from Figs. 4 and 5 that the floor section I has at eachend on its outer edge a cable 2! leading over an idler pulley 28 at theupper right hand corner of end wall section II and then down to awinding drum 29 at the lower right hand corner of the same section, thisdrum being provided with a crank handle 30, the arrangements at each endof the structure being the same.

When it is desired to arrange the structure for transportation, thelatch connections securing together roof section 9 to the end wallmembers l3 and to longitudinal wall members 15 and I! are released,permitting this roof member to be raised and supported temporarily byany appropriate prop means. The latch connection between the abuttingwall members H is then also released and end wall members 13 are foldedback over corresponding end wall members H, the double hinges l4permitting this. Then the members [5 and H at each end are folded aroundthe corners formed by the meeting of longitudinal wall section 5 and endwall sections H. the sections 15 and l! overlying the wall section 5,the double hinges l6 permitting this movement. The sections I! againabut and may be secured by the latching arrangement formed by parts I9,20 and 2|. Then the temporarily supported roof section 9 is allowed todrop over the floor section I which has been swung up to verticalposition by means of the drums 29 and cables 21, the parts finallytaking the position shown in Fig. 4 when the structure is in conditionfor travel on its wheels 4. It is important to note that the windows 23and the doors 24 are so positioned in the members 5, II, [3, l5 and Hthat when the unit is in folded up condition, Figure 4, the windows anddoors will register with each other. Thus the doors 24 will permitaccess to the trailer when in traveling position and the windows willallow light to enter so that the trailer is usable even in foldedcondition.

The above portable building may be constructed of wood, metal orplastic. Also .details of the structure may be varied without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

The toy structure shown in Fig. 7 is composed of similarly arrangedmembers which are designated by corresponding primed numerals. In thiscase the material is cardboard which may be attractively ornamented torepresent a house."

I-Iere folded lines 31 replace the hinge connections. Also in place ofthe latching arrangement, tongues 32 which enter corresponding slits 33are used to secure the parts together. To do this it is necessary toprovide for an extension 34 from one wall member ll so that a slit 33can be formed. Also no wheels 4 or supports 25 are necessary. The stepsof erection are the same, except that a tongue 32 is inserted into aslot 33 instead of a securing latch. To form a compact package forshipment, floor section I may be turned under floor section 2, sectionsI5 and I1 together with extension 34 may be folded together upon eachhalf end section l5 and the assemblage folded upon each end half sectionl3. The assemblage at each end is then turned inwardly to lie upon theupper surface of floor section 2'. The wall section 5' and roof sections1' and 9' are then turned down upon the underlying sections.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An expandable house trailer comprising a first rectangular floormember, supported on running gear, a first side wall member hinged atits bottom edge to one of the longitudinal edges of said floor member, asecond fioor member hinged to the other longitudinal edge of said floormember, a first one half end wall hinged to each end of said first floormember, a second one half end wall member hinged to the sides of saidfirst one half end walls adjacent the hinged connection of said secondfloor member with said first floor member, a pair of second one halfside wall members hinged to the outer side edges of said second one halfend wall members, a first half roof member hinged to the outerlongitudinal edge of said first side wall member, and a second half roofmember hinged to the outer longitudinal edge of said first half roofmember.

2. An expandable house trailer comprising a first rectangular floormember, supported on running gear, a first side wall member hinged atits bottom edge to one of the longitudinal edges of said floor member, asecond floor member hinged to the other longitudinal edge of said fioormember, a first one half end wall hinged to each end edge of said firstfloor member, a second one half end wall member hinged'to the sides ofsaid first one half end walls adjacent the hinged connection of saidsecond floor member with said first floor member, a pair of second onehalf side wall members hinged to the outer side edges of said second onehalf end wall members, a first half roof member hinged to the outerlongitudinal edge of said first side wall member, a second half roofmember hinged to the outer longitudinal edge of said first half roofmember, windows and doors in said side wall members and said wallmembers arranged in a predetermined position for registery thereof whensaid house trailer is in folded condition.

3. An expandable house trailer comprising a first rectangular floormember, supported on running gear, a first side wall member hinged atits bottom edge to one of the longitudinal edges of said fioor member, asecond floor member hinged to the other longitudinal edge of said floormember, a first one half end wall hinged to each end edge of said firstfloor member, a second one half end wall member hinged to the sides ofsaid first one half end walls adjacent the hinged connection of saidsecond floor member with said first floor member, a pair of second onehalf side wall members hinged to the outer side edges of said second onehalf end wall members, a first half roof member hinged to the otherlongitudinal edge of said first side wall member, a second half roofmember hinged to the outer longitudinal edge of said first half roofmember, windows in the side wall and end wall members, a door in one ofsaid pair of second one half side wall members, and a door in said firstside wall member arranged to register with the door in said one of saidpair of second one half side wall members.

HARRY E. PRESNELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,130,818 Herman Mar. 9, 1915 1,258,788 Koch Mar. 12, 19181,417,736 Heygate May 30, 1922 2,259,783 Sparling Oct. 21, 1941 2, 95,69Smith Feb. 26, 1946

